N,n&#39;-bis-nitroalkyl-oxamides



United States Patent 3 000 945 N,N'-BIS NITRbAI:KYL-OXANIH)ES Milton B. Frankel, Pasadena, Calif., assignor to Aerojetgfiieral Corporation, Azusa, Califl, a corporation of No Drawing. Filed on. so, 1957, Ser. N0. 693,783 15 Claims. to]. 260-561 This invention relates to new compositions of matter and a method for their preparation. In particular this invention relates to aliphatic polynitro oxarnides having the general formula:

N0, 0 0 N0, Rd-ANHi :-ii-NH-Ari:n

N9: N wherein R is a hydrogen, nitro, alkyl, or nitroalkyl radical and A is an alkylene radical.

These compounds, due to their high oxygen content, find valuable use as high explosives and can be used in any conventional explosive missile, projectile, rocket, or the like, as the main explosive charge. An example of such a missile is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2,470,162, issued May 17, 1949. One way of using the high explosives in a device such as that disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2,470,162 is to pack the crystalline explosive in powder form into the warhead of the missile. Alternatively, the crystals can be first pelletized and then packed. A charge thus prepared is sufiiciently insensitive to withstand the shock entailed in the ejection of a shell from a gun barrel or from a rocket launching tube under the pressure developed from ignition of a propellant charge, and can be caused to explode on operation of an impactor time-fuse mechanism firing a detonating explosive such as lead azide or mercury fulminate.

The compounds of this invention are readily prepared by condensing a geminal polynitro with an oxalyl compound in accordance with the general reaction scheme set forth below:

wherein R and A are as defined above, and R is a halogen or alkoxy radical.

To more clearly illustrate my invention, the following examples are presented. It is to be understood, however, that these examples are presented merely as a means of illustration, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

EXAMPLE I Preparation of N,N'-bis(3,3,3-trinitropr0pyl) oxamide A solution of 219 gm. (1.13 moles) 3,3,3-trinitropropyl amine in ether was cooled to C. and a solution of 35.5 gm. (0.28 mole) of oxalyl chloride in 150 ml. of ether was added dropwise. A white solid immediately separated. The reaction mixture was stirred for 1 hour at 5 C. and filtered. The product, which was waterinsoluble, was dried in vacuo over potassium hydroxide and recrystallized from methanol. The yield was 56 gm. (45.3%), M.P. 195-197 0., and exhibited an impact stability of 45 cm./ 2.5 kg. The elemental analysis of the product is as follows:

Calculated for CgH10N3014: C, H, N, 25.34%. Found: C, 22.06%; H, 2.32%; N, 25.31%.

Heat of combustion, H,, predicted: 2175 cal/gm.

Found: 2146 cal/gm.

EXAMPLE 11 Preparation of N,N-bis(3,3-dinitrobutyl) oxamide To a solution of 28.5 gm. (0.175 mole) of 3,3dinitrobutyl amine in chloroform was added 2.8 gm. (0.008 mole) of ethyl oxalate. The reaction mixture was refluxed for 2 hours and then concentrated in vacuo leaving a 3,3-dinitrobutyl amine, are prepared by reacting the cor-.

responding isocyanate, such as 3,3-dinitrobutyl isocyauate, with a dilute aqueous solution of a strong mineral acid, such as dilute nitric acid, as more fully disclosed in my copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 617,666, filed Dctober 22, 1956, now Patent No. 2,978,509.

Any diester of acyl dihalide or oxalicacid, such as oxalyl chloride, oxalyl bromide, ethyl oxalate, n-butyl oxalate, etc., can be used for the condensation reaction of this invention, although ethyl oxalate and oxalyl chloride are preferred for reasons of economy and convenlence.

Reaction temperature is not critical in the practice of this invention, and can be both higher and lower than those given in the examples, the only effect of temperature variation being a corresponding increase or decrease in reaction rate.

It will be appreciated that a wide variety of oxamide compounds can be prepared in accordance with the method of my invention. For example, 3,3-dinitropentyl amine; 4,4-dinitrobutyl amine; and 5,5,7,7-tetranitroheptyl amine condense with oxalyl compounds to form N,N'-bis(3,3-dinitropentyl) oxamide; N,N'-bis(4,4-dinitrobutyl) oxamide; and N,N'-bis(5,5,7,7-tetrantitroheptyl) oxamide, respectively. Similarly, mixtures of teachings of this invention, to produce polynifi'o oxamides,

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending U.S. Patent application Ser. No. 408,610, filed February 5, 1954, now abandoned.

I claim:

1. As compositions of matter, oxarnides having the formula:

from the group consisting and lower nitroallryl radradical.

the aliphatic polynitro wherein R is a radical selected of hydrogen, nitro, lower alkyl, icals and A is a lower alkylene 2. As compositions of matter, the aliphatic polynitro oxamides having the formula:

wherein A is a lower alkylene radical.

3; Ac compositions of matter, the aliphatic polym'tro oxamides having the formula:

wherein A is a lower alkyleme radical.

4-. As compositions of matter, the aliphatic polynitro wherein A is a lower alkylene radical and R is a lower alkyl radical.

5. As compositions of matter, the aliphatic polynitro omides having the formula:

wherein A is a lower alkylcne radical and R is a lower nitmalkyl radicall 6. As a composition of matter, N,N'-bis(3,3,3-trinitro propyi) oxamide having the structural formula:

7. As a composition of matter, N,N'-bis(3,3-dinitrobutyI) oxamidc having the structural formula:

8.v As a composition of matter, N,N'-his(4,4-dinitrohutyl) oxamide having the structural formula:

9. A: a composition of matter, N,N'-bis(S,5,7,7-tetranirohepty l) oxamido having the structural formula:

10- As a composition of matter, N-(3,3-dinitrohutyl)- N-(4,4 -dinitrobutyl) oxamidc having the structural forwill:

NO, O NO: 1: i ii i H- -CHaCHaCHr-NH- NHCH:CH: I --CH: NO: NO:

11. The method of preparing aliphatic polynitro oxamides having the formula:

a 4 which comprises condensing. anamine having the formula:

12-- I -A.-NH:

with an oxalyl compound having the formula:

0 O H lli-R wherein R is a radical selected from the group cog of hydrogen, nitro, lower alkyl and lower nitroalkyl radicals; A is a lower alkylcne radical; and R is a radical eelected from the group consisting of 'alkoxy and halogen radicals.

12. The method of preparing aliphatic polynitro om ides having the formula: P

which comprises reacting an amine having the formula:

with an oxalyl compound having the formula:

0 0 Willow wherein A is a lower alkylene radical and R is a halide radical.

13. The method of preparing aliphatic polynitro oxamides having the formula:

which comprises condensing a polynlitro amine having the formula:

N 0| R-(| -ANH:

with an oxalyl compound having the formula:

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Schenck et a1 Jan. 17, 1956 OTHER REFERENCES Textbook of Organic Chemistry, Wertheim 2nd ed. (1945), Blakiston Co., Philadelphia, page 310. 

1. AS COMPOSITIONS OF MATTER, THE ALIPHATIC POLYNITRO OXAMIDES HAVING THE FORMULA: 